He previously had been a Division I coach at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana. He took WSU to the NCAA tournament in 1994 and went to 11 NCAA tournaments in 12 seasons at Oklahoma (including a Final Four in 2002). He was at Indiana for two seasons before being fired.

He was let go by Indiana -- and hit with a five-year show cause penalty by the NCAA -- after violations regarding impermissible calls to recruits at both Oklahoma and Indiana. The order effectively barred him from coaching in college and expired in 2013.

"He was candid and completely transparent about his mistakes in the past. Coach Sampson is committed to leading a first-class program in all areas," Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades said.

Sampson, 58, worked as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Rockets following his firing by Indiana.

He replaces Dickey, who resigned late last month due to "private family matters." Dickey had a 64-62 record in four seasons at Houston, including a 20-13 mark in 2012-13. The Cougars were 17-16 this season.

ESPN.com's Andy Katz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.